Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama and the Unacceptability of Truth

[freedom13]

Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama and the Unacceptability of Truth

Tim Wise: Of National Lies and Racial America For most white folks, indignation just doesn't wear well. Once affected or conjured up, it reminds one of a pudgy man, wearing a tie that may well have fit him when he was fifty pounds lighter, but which now cuts off somewhere above his navel and makes him look like an idiot. Indignation doesn't work for most whites, because having remained sanguine about, silent during, indeed often supportive of so much injustice over the years in this country--the theft of native land and genocide of indigenous persons, and the enslavement of Africans being only two of the best examples--we are just a bit late to get into the game of moral rectitude. And once we enter it, our efforts at righteousness tend to fail the test of sincerity. But here we are, in 2008, fuming at the words of Pastor Jeremiah Wright, of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago--occasionally Barack Obama's pastor, and the man whom Obama credits with having brought him to Christianity--for merely reminding us of those evils about which we have remained so quiet, so dismissive, so unconcerned. It is not the crime that bothers us, but the remembrance of it, the unwillingness to let it go--these last words being the first ones uttered by most whites it seems whenever anyone, least of all an "angry black man" like Jeremiah Wright, foists upon us the bill of particulars for several centuries of white supremacy. But our collective indignation, no matter how loudly we announce it, cannot drown out the truth. And as much as white America may not be able to hear it (and as much as politics may require Obama to condemn it) let us be clear, Jeremiah Wright fundamentally told the truth.

[Anmon]

I don't see how shaming generation after generation of white children for something long in the past, that they didn't do themselves, is going to create any good or fix anything?

[Sonart]

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Quote by: Anmon I don't see how shaming generation after generation of white children for something long in the past, that they didn't do themselves, is going to create any good or fix anything?

Long in the past? Where've YOU been living?

[Technosoul]

It was mostly Obama who shifited the totality of what Rev Wright was preaching about into an issue of race and discrimination, and the continued need for more unity.

Wright stated that our government funded bio warfare that resulted in the creation of the AIDS virus which was then used to infect blacks in Africa via the World Health Organization. Which is a well know about conspiracy. An attempted project to kill off black people via mass murder.

Wright spoke about how "white America" under Ollie North had sold weapons for drugs during the contra conflict and then used those drugs to distroy the urban black communities.
They shipped the cocane in on airplanes used by CIA operations that could not be inspected by boarder patrols.

About the conspiracy that suggested that the FBI had Martin King Jr killed off.

Such sermons have little to do with Jesus or going to heaven when you die, the were about the politics of American policy.

True of false, I will not comment on that in this thread. But the bottom line is that Obama needs white votes to win and he cannot allow all those old conspiracies to surface such that he must defend them on behalf of Rev Wright.

In spite of all those conspriacy theories that might contain the seeds of truth, we are in a dangerous situation here with Obama closing in on being nominated.

Something that everyone has ignored.

What if some nut shot Obama just before he won the election or right after he was elected President?
Like what happened to King, Robert and John Kennedy, and what almost happened to Reagan and Ford.

Would we see massive riots in the African American communities all across America? Would we in effect have a civil war on our hands between blacks and other races?
Would America come tumbling down into rubble?

Think about it. This is a risk, like it or not. Are African Americans really ready to take that risk, can they handle it if some nut got trigger happy for the purpose of starting a war with the black community, knowing what reaction might follow.

Would we end up with "black terrorists" fighting the National Guard? Like it happend during the Watts riot.

Now you might think I am trying to an alarmist to create unfounded fears, but what I am saying, is "be prepared" because history does not always learn from the past.

You cannot totally ignore the "what if" that I have related.

Was I right or wrong for bringing this up?

[freedom13]

Technosoul

It was mostly Obama who shifited the totality of what Rev Wright was preaching about into an issue of race and discrimination, and the continued need for more unity.

Are you should it wasn't the hypocritical media that doing the shifting?

Wright stated that our government funded bio warfare that resulted in the creation of the AIDS virus which was then used to infect blacks in Africa via the World Health Organization. Which is a well know about conspiracy. An attempted project to kill off black people via mass murder. Wright spoke about how "white America" under Ollie North had sold weapons for drugs during the contra conflict and then used those drugs to distroy the urban black communities. They shipped the cocane in on airplanes used by CIA operations that could not be inspected by boarder patrols. About the conspiracy that suggested that the FBI had Martin King Jr killed off. Such sermons have little to do with Jesus or going to heaven when you die, the were about the politics of American policy.

Are you saying that what Mr. Wright said didn't happen? Are you prepared to tell us the truth?

Which heavens are you talking about? Are you referring to the one on earth in the White House or the one in a fantasy world or biblical myth?

[ParaTed2k]

Quote by: freedom13 Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama and the Unacceptability of Truth

Only to the hatemonger and bigot.

[freedom13]

Quote by: ParaTed2k Only to the hatemonger and bigot.

Who you calling hatemonger and bigot?

[freedom13]

Technosoul

True of false, I will not comment on that in this thread. But the bottom line is that Obama needs white votes to win and he cannot allow all those old conspiracies to surface such that he must defend them on behalf of Rev Wright.

Wrong! He cannot allow bias media to twist the truth into falsehood. The media is known for character assassination, and that the only thing they are very good at.

In spite of all those conspriacy theories that might contain the seeds of truth, we are in a dangerous situation here with Obama closing in on being nominated. Something that everyone has ignored

We are in danger of what? Because he's black! I thought Obama is considered to be black and white.

[GHook93]

Quote by: Sonart . Long in the past? Where've YOU been living?

Very isolated incidents. For every one of these incidents there are a 1000 where whites and blacks working together.

[Domino]

I've come up with a great answer for all this, but it does no good coming from me, Obama needs to say it: A church is more than its pastor.

[Sonart]

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Quote by: GHook Very isolated incidents. For every one of these incidents there are a 1000 where whites and blacks working together.

I tend to believe the saying...

"There's less racism than many blacks would have us believe, but far more than most whites think."

Quote by: Domino I've come up with a great answer for all this, but it does no good coming from me, Obama needs to say it: A church is more than its pastor.

There it is... it's not up to whites to lecture blacks on what's racist, since we've never really experienced it. It's going to take leaders like Bill Cosby and others to get blacks to take an honest look at themselves. It's up to whites to make sure other whites see racism where it exists.

.

[GHook93]

Quote by: Sonart . I tend to believe the saying... "There's less racism than many blacks would have us believe, but far more than most whites think."

I will agree with that, but it is still better being a minority in America than any other country on the planet

[GHook93]

Quote by: Domino I've come up with a great answer for all this, but it does no good coming from me, Obama needs to say it: A church is more than its pastor.

NO, what needed (needs) to be done was Wright to go public and have an interview. He doesn't need to go on Hannity or O'Reily, but maybe Larry King or 60 minutes!

[ParaTed2k]

Quote by: freedom13 Who you calling hatemonger and bigot?

Wright and his bigotted followers.

[Nono]

Quote by: GHook It is still better being a minority in America than any other country on the planet.

This is the sort of totalitarian drivel that had me convinced you were a Bushite Republican, G. Honestly, what the hell do you know about it?

A friend of mine lives on the south side of Chicago. That place tells the whole story -- the whole story. Fundamental racism is the elephant of elephants in the American living room.

Apart from the AIDS business (which can be put down to understandable if unscientific paranoia) I think the Rev. Wright basically uttered some glaring but unpalatable truths.

Nothing hurts like the truth.

[phoenix_fire]

Quote by: freedom13 Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama and the Unacceptability of Truth

Truth!?! More like paranoid, racist, anti-government rants. The article you quote really irritates me. Everyone is entitled to the right of outrage. The idea that whites have to sit back and keep mum in the midst of unabashedly racist attacks against them is as asinine as the idea mentioned in another thread that it is impossible for blacks to be racist. And the two almost certainly originate from the same tainted well. If outrage on a white person looks like a too-small tie on a fat guy, then paranoid allegations such as Wright's look like a a tacky suit that went out of style decades ago (which wasn't particularly sheik even for its time) worn by an old hippie who's put on a few since. In other words, so-called civil rights leaders in this day and age are beating a dead horse trying to relive their glory days when some vestige of real racism still existed to fight.

[Sonart]

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Quote by: Nono A friend of mine lives on the south side of Chicago. That place tells the whole story -- the whole story. Fundamental racism is the elephant of elephants in the American living room.

I used to teach college art and design, about 10 years ago. One class, we had about 4 blacks students, out of a class of 25 or so. Somehow the topic came up one day, so I asked if any of them had actually been pulled over for DWB.

That would be Driving While Black... you know, variations of being pulled over by police, only to be asked, "whatchu doin' in this neighborhood" or "This is a pretty nice car... is it yours?"

Not only had all four experienced it, but more than once, and were more than willing to describe each incident in detail, since, of course, there is no racism in America.

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[phoenix_fire]

But just as many could give anecdotal evidence that it doesn't happen. That's why anecdotal evidence doesn't count for much. Besides. When you get pulled over, it's human nature to try and demonize the cop that did it. If you've never been pulled over, you probably can't understand what I mean. I could tell you all kinds of stories about the one time that I got pulled over for no apparent reason, and I do on multiple occasions. Maybe it was just 'cause I'm a woman. Maybe it's just 'cause the guy resents college students. Maybe it's 'cause my car looked like a Land Rover when in all actuality, it was just a very old Mitsubishi (the guy actually put "Land Rover" on the ticket too). Maybe it was the Christian fish on the back. The facts are that the guy was a jerk to me and that he pulled me over about 100 feet or so past the driveway that I had just left for speeding (a 20 yr old SUV with transmission problems accelerating like that: give me a break). It coulda been for any number of reasons and I've tried to figure it out myself. Heck. If I was a black person and I lived in a community with a distinct persecution complex, I'd probably say it was because of my skin. Most people would. That doesn't make the allegation legit.

[Sonart]

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Quote by: phoenix_fire When you get pulled over, it's human nature to try and demonize the cop that did it.

You're being naive, phoenix. When you or I get pulled over by police, it's for a specific reason. You're going kinda fast, you made an illegal turn, you're tail lights are out.

Quote by: phoenix_fire (the guy actually put "Land Rover" on the ticket too)

See? You were cited for something.

When you're pulled over for DWB, it's simply to be questioned. "Do you live around here?" means, "Why are you, a black kid, driving around in this rich white neighborhood?" "Is this your car?" means "What's a black kid like you doing driving around in a brand new Jeep Wrangler?" (The case for one of my students)

The cops look at your ID and registration, look inside the car (particularly if you have gang members... er, friends ...with you, maybe call in the tags to see if there's any priors, maybe have you step out of the car so they can look inside, and then eventually just let you go, without so much as a 'sorry for the inconvenience'.

But hey, maybe I'm wrong... maybe that doesn't happen any more?
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[Nono]

Anecdotal evidence, when it's near-universal, is EVIDENCE.
Sorry, phoenix, but that's how it is.

The idea that whites have to sit back and keep mum in the midst of unabashedly racist attacks against them is as asinine.

Who is espousing this idea, 'nix? No-one I know. Whites have every right to defend themselves against racist attack. They also have the numbers and the institutions backing them up in that enterprise.
Unlike some people.